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sinister about the socks, except that they were the only pieces of clothing on the floor in an otherwise neat bedroom. Later these two socks became crucial evidence, when it was discovered that they contained blood evidence from Nicole and Simpson. Brad and I could have established the socks being on the floor in the master bedroom long before the search warrant was signed or Simpson gave a blood sample to Vannatter and Lange. Instead, because the socks did not show up on a videotape shot to memorialize the condition and possessions of the Rockingham house, the defense was able to question whether the socks had been in the bedroom, creating doubt in the juror s minds. Later, it was proven that the video photographer had shot the room after Fung had already removed the socks. But doubt had already been planted.
    Another crucial source of evidence mishandled was Simpson’s Bronco. From the moment I saw what appeared to be blood stains on the door, it was apparent that this vehicle contained important evidence. It should have been treated with extreme care, following standard procedures.
    As I related in the previous chapter, when Vannatter put me in charge of the Rockingham scene, one of my first actions was to order the Bronco impounded. But Vannatter cancelled the impound and simply had two officers guard the vehicle. Because of Vannatter s decision, the Bronco sat outside for several hours with countless people around it.
    The decision to leave the Bronco on a public street bothered me then and still does. Did Vannatter think he didn’t have probable cause to impound the Bronco prior to having the search warrant? That seems very odd, considering the fact that Vannatter eventually testified that he looked inside and saw blood in the Bronco. Just how much probable cause did he think he needed to impound a vehicle which he thought was connected to a crime?
    When the Bronco was finally impounded, it was taken not to Parker Center, but to a contract impound lot. There, the worst that could happen did. A tow lot employee went inside the Bronco and took a receipt from the glove box for a souvenir.
    The defense now could rightly argue that the evidence inside the Bronco was compromised, but it was still a stretch to call it contaminated. However, it once again looked as if we were careless or had mishandled evidence. And once again, the defense had reason to cast suspicion on the actions of the LAPD officers and their support staff.
    One of the most important responsibilities of detectives at a murder scene is the handling of the bodies. They shouldn’t be moved until all evidence around them is collected or secured, and any forensic tests at the crime scene should be delayed until it is certain they will not interfere with the proper collection of evidence. While the defense argued that Vannatter and Lange should have given the medical examiner earlier access to the bodies, in this case they did the right thing. But that’s not to say the detectives were flawless in their handling of the bodies.
    When I read the autopsy reports during the trial, I was surprised to learn that Lange and Vannatter didn’t have Nicole checked for semen. They reasoned that since her panties weren’t torn, the possibility of rape was almost nonexistent. That may be true, but consensual sex was still possible.
    Simpson reportedly had consensual sex with Nicole many times during their separation and divorce. Ron Goldman was also rumored to have been sexually involved with Nicole. Wouldn’t it have been useful to know if Nicole had sexual intercourse just prior to her murder?
    I cannot imagine not trying to acquire every piece of forensic evidence possibly available at a murder scene. It would be far better to have it, or try to obtain it, than to be criticized by the defense for not even attempting to retrieve it. The detectives simply had to request the sample be taken, and we would have been covered.
    Another mistake was Tom Lange’s decision to